


A Half-Pound of Pluck

by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Detective Jess, F/F, Journalist Amy, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23087920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/pseuds/letmetellyouaboutmyfeels
Summary: Jessica Logan's been doing a pretty good job of ignoring her spunky shadow's advances, until now.
Relationships: Jessica Logan/Amy Preston
Kudos: 7





	A Half-Pound of Pluck

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted here: https://letmetellyouaboutmyfeels.tumblr.com/post/184077418548/jamy-needs-so-more-fic-prompt-love-bushy-tailed

“Detective Logan!”

Jess closed her eyes, counted to ten, then turned in time for Amy Preston to plop herself on Jess’s desk. “Miss Preston. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, as usual.”

“I’d hate to let you down,” Amy replied, pulling out a notepad and passing Jess a latte (soy milk, pump of cinnamon). “So, got anything to tell me about the Rittenhouse Ripper?”

“That is the absolute worst name you could’ve come up with.”

“I didn’t come up with it, my editor did. He wants sensation.”

“And what do you want?”

Amy gave her a dangerous smirk. “The truth.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But you’re holding out on me.” Amy sighed dramatically. “How’s an investigative reporter supposed to do an honest day’s work and investigate when you won’t talk to me?”

“Maybe you can go investigate something else.” Jess got up and walked past Amy, still sipping the latte. Damn it.

“Oh come on, there is clearly huge abuse of power and misogyny at work here!’ Amy protested, following her.

Det. Wyatt Logan—Jess’s ex—and his partner Garcia Flynn both smirked at Jess as she walked by. They found her persistent and talkative shadow to be highly amusing.

Jess’s habit of walking into walls when Amy wore short skirts might have had something to do with it.

“When is there not a huge abuse of power and misogyny at work with a serial killer?” Jess replied, finishing off her latte and tossing it neatly into the recycling bin. “Amy.”

“Jessica, Jessie girl, light of my life.”

Jess pointed at the front door. “Go bother someone else.”

Amy pouted. “If you don’t let me in on this, I’ll investigate it myself.”

“Mm, not my responsibility,” Jess replied, even as her heart leapt into her throat.

“Jess, please?” Amy unleashed the puppy eyes.

God, with all of her sass and her smarts, sometimes Jess forgot that Amy was only twenty seven, that there was almost eight years between them, that Amy was young. Young and vulnerable and so terrifyingly mortal.

Jess took Amy by the shoulders. “Amy, listen to me. You are a very good reporter, okay? And if I have a scoop for you, I’ll give it to you. But this case is dangerous. If I’m not letting you in on this, it’s for a good reason. All right?”

Amy nodded, a little wide-eyed, and Jess stomped off to see what Jiya the M.E. could tell her.

* * *

It was about two days later that Flynn got the call.

Jess had been feeling… anxious about this case. The so-called Rittenhouse Ripper, if you listened to the stupid papers and news sites. She wasn’t cranky, no, Wyatt, and it wasn’t because she no longer had Amy chattering in her ear, shut up, Flynn.

It was just. Quiet. That was all. Plenty of time—one might even say too much time—to be alone with her thoughts.

She was at her desk, going over the same old clues, wishing that she had Amy with her because, okay, fine, Amy had this way of looking at things and seeing things that no one else did—when Flynn answered his desk phone.

“Flynn speaking.”

Jess ignored it.

She didn’t ignore what he said next.

“Wha—” Flynn jerked to standing. “Lucy—Lucy slow down, _slow down_ , Lucy I can’t—”

“Is she okay?” Wyatt demanded.

“Okay, okay, don’t touch anything—we’re on our way. Call my cell, I’ll stay on the phone with you.” Flynn slammed the phone down. “Wyatt, you’re driving.”

Wyatt never drove unless the men needed to get somewhere very, very, _very_ quickly.

“What’s going on?” Jess asked, putting down her folder.

“It’s Amy,” Flynn said tersely, grabbing his jacket. “Lucy just got home—the Ripper’s got her.”

The world flipped upside down.

* * *

Lucy was a mess when the three of them pulled up. Wyatt took over hugging duty, letting Lucy cling to him and spill snot all over his shirt, as Flynn got the CSI team together and had them go over the place.

Jess stared dumbly at the message scrawled over the red string board Amy had set up for the case, all of Amy’s lovely, meticulous notes marred by the message:

_Kitty got too curious._

The implication was obvious. Everyone knew what happened to curious cats.

“Jess.” It was Rufus, one of the techies. “Hey, need you to step aside so I can get a picture.”

“What? Oh. Of course.” Amy with her smile, Amy with her nicknames, Amy with her lattes…

Rufus laid a hand on her shoulder. “She’s a brave kid. We’re gonna find her.”

Jess nodded, swallowing hard, her throat tight. “I told her not to help me,” she croaked. “I should’ve known she’d continue on her own—if I’d had her with me at the precinct—”

“This was Amy’s choice,” Rufus pointed out. “Don’t take that away from her. She’s an adult, and she chose to pursue this. She knew the risks. This wasn’t her first dangerous assignment.”

Jess nodded, the walls of the apartment suddenly feeling too close and unyielding.

* * *

They had three days. That was how much time passed between the girls being taken and their bodies being found.

Three days.

“I don’t understand,” Lucy whispered, broken, Flynn’s arm around her shoulders as she accepted another box of tissues from Wyatt. “Our security system—nobody could’ve gotten in unless they had the combination.”

Jess drummed her fingers on the table. Clearly someone had hacked it. “Look, I know your mom was paranoid and rich and could afford the best but is there any way—”

Her fingers froze.

“…Lucy?”

“…yes?”

Of course, _of course_ … “Your mom set up that system, you inherited the apartment from her, right?”

“Yes?”

“Would there have been anyone else she trusted to give the combination to the apartment to?”

Lucy frowned. “Just me, Amy, Dad, and…” Lucy’s eyes went wide. “My cousin, Nicholas, Mom adored him—”

Jess was out the door.

* * *

Amy, defiant, scalpel in hand, teeth bared. “You forgot the second part of the saying, asshole. _Satisfaction brought it back_.”

Giving Jess a dazed smile. “Hey, Jessie girl, you don’t mind if I use this for a scoop, do you?”

Passing out as Jess held her, _don’t give up on me, Amy, hey, Amy, don’t you give up on me, you stay here, you stay right here._

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Jess squeezed Amy’s hand, listening to the monitor, watching her sleep. Lucy was passed out on Flynn’s lap, Flynn on one of the other uncomfortable hospital chairs, his arm around her to keep her from falling off. Wyatt had left a few minutes ago to get more coffee for him and Jess.

Amy’s eyelids fluttered and she stirred, turning her head, her hand tightening in Jess’s.

Jess gave a strangled noise and brushed Amy’s hair out of her face. “Hey, Lois Lane, how’re you feeling?”

Amy swallowed a few times, her eyes clearing up. “Thirsty.”

Jess fetched her some water and helped her to sit up. “Gave us a fright there.”

Amy hummed, finishing the water. Jess set the cup aside. “Did I get him?”

“Yes. Yes, babe, you got him.”

Amy looked up at her, eyes dark and wide. “I kept thinking you’d come–and I didn’t want you to see me all tied up and helpless, I wanted you to see me–being brave.”

Jess squeezed Amy’s hand tighter. “I already knew you were brave, Amy.”

“Well, how else was I supposed to impress you? The lattes didn’t seem to be working.”

Jess laughed, because it was that or burst into tears. “They did work.” She kissed Amy softly. “They did, they did.”

Wyatt entered a few moments later, coffees in hand, paused, and then quickly retreated back to the hallway. Flynn and Lucy, fortunately, slept on.


End file.
